“Big Food” at the Peabody & Meatball Salads

One of the best parts about living in Albany is that it’s in a great location for day trips.* On any given Saturday, especially in the summer, it isn’t at all uncommon for us to find ourselves wandering randomly around Lake Placid, taking in the scenery in Vermont, or hitting the outlets (and the Trader Joe’s!) in Massachusetts.

Lately, one of my favorite day trips has been to Connecticut – specifically to New Haven and the Peabody Museum. We discovered it last summer, and I couldn’t believe that I’d live so close to it for so long without ever hearing about it! It’s a small museum, but it’s full of really cool stuff like dinosaur bones and mummies (it doesn’t matter how old I get, I’ll always think those things are awesome). Through this past January, they had a temporary exhibit of x-rayed fish – it sounds strange, but they were absolutely beautiful. I even went into the gift shop to see if they sold prints, but unfortunately I was out of luck on that one.

It looks like it’s time for me to make another trip down there – their new multi-media exhibit about health, culture, and the evolution of eating is right up my alley. “Big Food” looks like a pretty powerful exhibit – since it opened in February, over 50,000 people have used their online app to pledge to improve the health of themselves, their families, and their communities by doing everything from watching less TV to celebrating Meatless Monday to buying local products and working to improve the quality of foods served in schools. (You can check it out and make you own pledge here.)

Meatball Salad

Yields 2 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 110 minutes

After walking around the museum for a few hours I’m usually starving. Food in New Haven tends to be pretty typical for a college town but I really like the patio at Box 63. The nachos are awesome, and I’m always intrigued by the meatball salad. I’ve never ordered it there, but I’ve recreated it at home and it’s really good – and a nice alternative for those of us who love meatballs but don’t always want the heavy carbs that usually accompany them them. Of course, you can always seek out a Connecticut Style Lobster Roll, too.

Preparation

Put the romaine in a large bowl. Dress with the olive oil and lemon juice. Add blue cheese, roasted red peppers, and red onion slices. Gently toss to combine the ingredients.

Divide the salad between two serving bowls. Top with meatballs.

[/print_this] (I’ll also let you in on my Connecticut secret – the Saks in Westport? Small, unintimidating, and soooo much less picked over during sale-times than the NYC location. (Especially the shoe section – I bought some gorgeous Jimmy Choos for less than you’d pay at Nine West). And there’s an Anthropologie right down the road. And across the parking lot from that is a super cute French antique store.)

*Yes, I just said that the best part of living here is how easy it is to leave.

Which Connecticut destination would you like to visit? Leave a comment below and you will be entered into a sweepstakes from BlogHer to win $1,000 to help you plan your trip!

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I would want to stay at the shore for several days. I always take my family on day trips, with coolers full of food and drinks. The ride home always seems so long and just once I want to stay overnight and shower and get dressed up for dinner on the beach. (And maybe a cocktail or two and catch some local musical flavor).

I would love to visit Kent during the fall. I’d also like to take a day trip to see Mark Twain’s house/museum. I just moved to CT from GA last week, so I’m looking forward to exploring what CT has to offer!

I was born and raised in Norwalk, Ct. Had lived in Ridgefield when my children were small. I now live in Va. Beach, still have family in Ct. I have so many wonderful memories of growing up in Norwalk, would love to have the opportunity to visit all areas that are in my memory.

I’d like to spend a few days in Niantic to walk around Rocky Neck State Park, while away many, many hours in the various Book Barn locations (a fabulous used book store), and take short trips to Mystic and other nearby towns and sights along the shore.

I would visit the Mystic area and then drive over towards Old Saybrook,Westbrook and Clinton. In Mystic there is plenty to keep you busy and happy; the seaport,aquarium and even shopping. Old Saybrook and surrounding towns has great beaches, restaurants and again great shopping including some terrific outlets. You can have beaches, scenery, food and shopping all within the same area; the CT shoreline.

Lets see…so many places to choose from! I would love to go to the Barnum museum and then the Dolphins Cove in Bridgeport for lobster. I used to go there and enjoy sitting on their large deck at the waters edge. I would also visit the many beaches to collect shells, sea glass and driftwood. Another stop I would make is the Essex train ride around Halloween. I loved the costumed affair as a kid and have many fond memories. Connecticut is beautiful and I hope to live there, once again, in the future.

I would visit all the wonderful art museums and galleries in Connecticut, starting in Greenwich with the Bush Holley House and the Bruce Museum, working my way through the state, all the way to Mystic. My favorite is the New Britain Museum of American Art. Many do not realize how rich we are in art.

I’m from Boston and would love to take my daughter to the Mystic Aquarium. I hate to say this but I will. The Boston aquarium is soooo boring. I love animals and would also like to visit the Beardsley zoo. So the zoo and aquarium would be on my to do list in Connecticut.

I would love to take my husband to connecticut and treat him to the best vacation I can give him for taking care of me all year when I have been very sick. I had gastric bypass surgery that went bad. I was on a ventilator and almost died. my husband has endured more than anyone can expect. he has been my walk and I would love to repay him with my love in a vacation and his favorite meal to take them out for a lobster dinner.

I would like to stay at a Bed & Breakfast any where and treat my ROCK of a husband, for taking care of me and my illness for one year. I had gastric bypass that went bad was on a ventalatorand almost died. I have been ill for over a year and now healthy to travel enough to surprise my husband for sticking by me. It was very difficult for him to see me sick all the time.

I would love to venture into Litchfield county in the fall and see all the covered bridges, stay at a quaint Bed and Breafast Inn, window shop at some of the antique shops and have a nice relaxing meal.

If I win a trip to Connecticut I would love to visit Rocky Neck State Park in East Lyme, Connecticut. I love to hike and my husband loves to fish so we would love to spend time exploring the beautiful beach on Long Island Sound. Then I would take my husband for a romantic stay at the Inn at Harbor Hill Marina in Niantic Connecticut. A very relaxing and romantic bed and breakfast where we would dine outside with water views perfect

I would love to go anywhere in Connecticut…The Tall trees , I miss most…Being a native New Englander, I feel Just to enjoy Connecticut , for the first time in such a long time…that would definitely do it for Me. Sterling is nice, an I wouldn’t mine seeing the largest casino “foxwoods” again, its been a long time. Guess I will keep my fingers cross that I get that chance.

If I won the $1000 I would like to sample wine and take a tour at Haight-Brown Vineyard in Litchfield, CT. It is something I have never done and would love for a chance for some extra money to take a long weekend getaway for rest and relation at the vineyard. Please pick me

I have family in the Fairfield through New Haven area. To be more specific, a majority of them being in Stratford. It’s been almost twenty years since I’ve been up there to see them. And unfortunately, and sorry to put it this way, they’re getting older and starting to drop like flies. One of my Aunts passed away last year and the surviving Aunt and Uncle are in their late eighties. To say the least, I’d love to win a trip since I am currently unemployed. But one of the things I’d do while I’m there is go to Pepe’s pizza in New Haven and order a pie. It’s been way too long since I’ve enjoyed a bite; in need of my fix!!!

p.s. I discovered four years ago that I had many lost distant cousins in the area too. Many of them are now my Facebook friends and have truly never met them. This would give me the opportunity to meet them too.

The salad looks amazing. I would visit Mystic Aquarium, the Dinosaur Place and the Peabody museum. I would love to see the Dino Tracks in the Conn Valley then of course I would want to visit with my brother, who lives in CT who I haven’t seen in years.